JP2020514203A - Automated service retail system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a combined automation service and a self-service store for implementation in a physical store type retail place. The store and corresponding implementation method is an automated service model in which a robot deployed in a physical store type location fills an order for a replaceable item ordered by a customer either online or in the store. The store also includes a shopping section where customers can select/order items and/or choose non-exchangeable items themselves. The store includes a shopping section for non-exchangeable items that customers prefer to pull by hand and a back-end automated order fulfillment section for other items (eg, exchangeable items, dry items, etc.). The two sets of goods are packaged in a delivery bundle, delivered together and picked up by the customer. The present invention combines the convenience of online and self-service shopping using a non-traditional approach that reduces costs to retailers while at the same time increasing customer satisfaction. [Selection diagram] Fig. 4B

Description

  The present invention relates to systems and methods for automated services at retail locations suitable for combining physical stores and online shopping methods and systems. In particular, the present invention relates to retail locations that provide a combined automation and self-service shopping experience.

  Since its invention by Clarence Saunders in 1916 (US Pat. No. 1,242,872), self-service stores have dominated the retail industry to the extent that the generic term “store” means self-service stores by default after 100 years. It was way. In fact, it is difficult for many people, especially retailers, to imagine different forms of in-store retail models or systems.

  Since the advent of the Internet in the late 1990s, the advantages of e-commerce, especially as carried out by online retailers such as Amazon Inc., have shifted consumers to a steadily increasing rate of their shopping for online systems. Convinced you to do. Only 20 years later, e-commerce is so common that such online services are seen as threatening the existence of physical retailers currently operating by professionals under a self-service model. It has become very destructive for face-to-face bargains.

  However, both physical stores and online shopping methods and systems have encountered some drawbacks. Regarding physical store locations, the self-service store model has become obsolete with the creation of the Internet, and retailers are giving up market share to online retailers who can offer lower prices and convenience when shopping online. There is. Online shopping has some compelling advantages over self-service stores. For example, a customer may simply place an order electronically without having to go to a store, and a retailer (rather than a customer) may "pick" the item and ship it to fulfill the order. As a result, online shopping enables the additional benefit of eliminating the need to endure the wait-and-see queues that everyone hates, which is a necessary evil of the self-service model. An additional advantage of is that customers can order from any place at any time, because the fulfillment center has a much larger storage capacity than individual physical stores, and a product with a longer tail is economically feasible. Being able to serve the aggregated demands of a much wider pool of customers than if they were stocked and shopped in a single store, allowing a wider range of products to be produced, a series of powerful Decision support tools are available online to shoppers, especially in product reviews, and order delivery to the customer's home, which is usually very convenient for the customer.

  For online retailing, the prevalence of online orders is non-uniform across different product and store categories, and prevalence in food products is dramatically lower than in all other major categories. Part of the reason for this difference is that there is certainly a need to deal with the resulting logistical complexity of food spoilage restraints and delivery functions. But a more fundamental reason is that its relative advantages of a physical store location over online are far more important in food than in any other category.

  In particular, from the point of view of the customer, the physical retailer is (1) immediacy, that is, order fulfillment can be done very quickly from a locally stored sampling “(2) Opportunity to physically inspect before purchasing (eg non-replaceable, damaged, etc.), (3) availability of in-store sales staff to service, and (4) stimulating in-store experience and customer value It has several advantages over online retailing, including the opportunity to provide social interaction to

  In an attempt to bridge the gap between online shopping and face-to-face self-service shopping, in-store retailers are expanding into e-commerce, whether they place their orders online with customers and pick them up at the store. Or it offers the opportunity to have them delivered to their home. However, the online ordering method implemented by self-service retailers requires that the retailer incur the cost of sampling the order (a task that self-service customers typically do for retailers at no cost), and these Suppressed by competitive pressure from price increases to cover additional costs. In addition, in-store sampling of these orders is very inefficient and harmful to self-service customers, forcing retailers to shift performance to dedicated facilities, even with relatively small sales volumes. In-store retailers offering online sales typically experience both increased variable and fixed costs without increasing sales (ie, people are Therefore, this "multi-channel" model is ultimately a complex strategy and difficult to implement successfully. The more successful a retailer's transition to online, the faster the retailer is forced to close or go bankrupt.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,242,872 US Pat. No. 9,139,363 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0288696 US Patent Application No. 15 / 171,802

  There is a need for systems and methods that can implement an optimal shopping experience for customers at physical store locations that can compete with online retailers. The present invention is directed to yet another solution that addresses this need, as well as having other desirable properties. Specifically, the present invention is implemented in a physical retail location that is clearly superior to both the self-service physical retail and online retail model in terms of both customer experience and retail profitability. Enable an automated service operation model. In particular, the present invention provides retailers, including food retailers, with methods and systems for converting a self-service model retail location into a highly automated order fulfillment center for all or a portion of an item.

  An automated store is provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The automated store includes a building having an automated fulfillment section, a shopping section including a cashier section, and a delivery section. The shopping section includes a mock market for presenting customers with exchangeable products for order selection, one or more shopping terminals for selecting one or more exchangeable products from the pseudo market, and a custom sampling "formula". Includes one or more sampling stations for presenting one or more non-exchangeable items for selection. The automated fulfillment section includes an automated fulfillment system. The automated fulfillment system includes a plurality of separated by passages. Includes a rack module and a storage structure with multiple storage levels, the storage structure is empty when empty storage totes, contains each when storage totes, and when ordered to order Storing a plurality of totes that are housed or a combination thereof The automated fulfillment system also includes at least one mobile robot capable of storing the tote and removing it from the storage structure, the automated fulfillment system comprising one or Extract two or more exchangeable items and organize one or more exchangeable items into one or more custom totes for delivery to the customer. One or more non-exchangeable goods delivery stations that accept one or more non-exchangeable goods that have been withdrawn, and the customer rendering one or more exchangeable goods and payments for one or more non-exchangeable goods. The delivery section includes one or more exchangeable items from the automated fulfillment section and one or more non-exchangeable items extracted from the shopping section. And a collection station that accepts the delivery bundle and stores the delivery bundle at an assigned location until the customer arrives to take delivery of the delivery bundle.

  In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a simulated market includes virtual or tangible representations of one or more replaceable items that are scannable images or codes.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, one or more shopping terminals present customers with merchandise that can be purchased for order selection.

  In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the pick "station allows the customer to directly manually pick non-replaceable goods. The pick" station also includes a custom picker for non-replaceable goods based on instructions from the customer. And the picker is a human and / or the picker is a robot.

  According to an aspect of the invention, the delivery station includes an assessment tool configured to identify one or more non-exchangeable items. Evaluation tools include a scale for determining weight and an optical scanner for reading images, labels, or codes.

  In accordance with aspects of the present invention, one or more non-exchangeable items are placed in one or more totes within the shopping section. The one or more non-exchangeable item delivery stations accept a tote containing one or more non-exchangeable items. The delivery bundle includes one or more shopping bags that contain one or more exchangeable items, one or more non-exchangeable items, or both. The delivery bundle can include one or more shopping bags.

  According to an aspect of the invention, the fusion module removes one or more non-exchangeable items and one or more exchangeable items from the tote and combines them in a preferred arrangement into the shopping bag. The exemplary arrangement is based on the weight of items, with heavier items placed on the bottom of the shopping bag and lighter items placed on the top. The exemplary arrangement is also based on the content of the items such that the food items are placed together in the shopping bag and the non-food items are placed together in the shopping bag separately from the food items. The exemplary arrangement is further based on the grindability of the packaging of the item.

  According to an aspect of the invention, the shopping section is above the surface of the automated store and the automation fulfillment section is above the shopping section.

  According to an aspect of the invention, the automated fulfillment section is above the surface of the automated store and the shopping section is above the automated fulfillment section.

  In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the automated fulfillment section includes an inventory of replaceable items in a storage system configured for automated sampling by a plurality of robots. The replaceable items were stored in a rack module of the automated fulfillment system. Can be placed in a tote.

  In accordance with an aspect of the invention, at least one mobile robot propels itself horizontally and vertically throughout the storage structure to enter the tote into the storage structure, remove the tote from the storage structure, and transport the tote.

  An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method of automated order fulfillment at an automated store. The method comprises the steps of receiving at least one order from a customer for one or more items at an automated store, and initiating a plurality of robots to sample "draw one or more items from inventory for sampling at a station." The method also includes withdrawing an inventory tote containing inventory for one or more items in at least one order from the inventory and withdrawing the tote "one or more of the stations and delivery totes." A plurality of robots configured to deliver to the picker of the station and the picker at the station. The method further includes packing one or more items into a custom tote associated with at least one order. And delivering the completed ordered tote to the customer.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the at least one order is one of an online order originating from a remote location and a face-to-face order originating from an automated store. Starting multiple robots for each of the at least one order can be prioritized based on the origin of the order.

  An exemplary embodiment of the invention provides a system for implementing an automated store service model. The system aggregates an order processing tool configured to receive at least one order from at least one customer, and one or more non-exchangeable items that have been manually extracted by the at least one customer. A non-exchangeable product fulfillment tool configured. The system also verifies the one or more non-exchangeable items with an automated service fulfillment tool configured to instruct the automation robot to extract one or more exchangeable items contained in at least one order. To receive payment for one or more non-exchangeable goods and one or more exchangeable goods from at least one customer, and to deliver one or more exchangeable goods to at least one customer. And a delivery fulfillment tool configured to.

  An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method of shopping in an automated store. The method comprises the steps of using a shopping terminal to select one or more exchangeable products for automated fulfillment, and collecting and tabulating one or more non-exchangeable products in a non-exchangeable product fulfillment section. Verifying and paying for one or more exchangeable items and one or more non-exchangeable items and accepting delivery of the one or more exchangeable items.

  An automated store is provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The automated store includes a shopping section. The shopping section is one or more shopping terminals having a configuration that allows the customer to browse and select one or more exchangeable items for performance by the automated fulfillment system, and the customer's handheld terminal. A non-exchangeable product fulfillment section having a configuration that allows one to view and select one or more non-exchangeable products for selection to withdraw. The automated store also includes a fulfillment section. The fulfillment section renders payments for one or more replaceable items and one or more non-exchangeable items for an automated fulfillment system that extracts one or more exchangeable items for delivery to a customer. And / or a delivery fulfillment section where one or more replaceable items are delivered to the customer by the automated fulfillment system.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated store includes a shopping section. The shopping section has a product selection mechanism that allows the customer to browse and select one or more exchangeable items for fulfillment by the automated fulfillment system, and one or more non-exchangeable items for the customer. A non-exchangeable product fulfillment section having a configuration that allows browsing and selection of products. The automated store also includes a fulfillment section. The Fulfillment Section is an automated fulfillment system that extracts one or more exchangeable items selected for delivery to a customer, and the customer pays for one or more exchangeable items and one or more non-exchangeable items. And a delivery fulfillment section having one or more exchangeable items delivered to the customer by the automated fulfillment system.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the product selection mechanism includes one or more of typical product packaging, scannable product images, or virtual electronic display selectable product user interfaces.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the payment system includes one or more interactive kiosks. The payment system can also include a virtual payment system that is accessed by the customer device to make the payment.

  3 is an automated store according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The automated store includes a shopping section that includes a customer shopping area in which a customer provides an indication of one or more items for purchase, and a fulfillment section. The fulfillment section includes an automated fulfillment system that picks one or more items selected for delivery to a customer at an automated store.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shopping section includes a product selection mechanism having a configuration that allows a customer to browse and select one or more replaceable items for performance by an automated fulfillment system. . The shopping section may also include a non-exchangeable product fulfillment section having a configuration that allows a customer to browse and select one or more non-exchangeable products for purchase.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the automated store further includes a payment system having a configuration that enables a customer to render payments for one or more exchangeable items and one or more non-exchangeable items. . The automated store may also include a delivery fulfillment section in which one or more replaceable items are delivered to the customer by the automated fulfillment system.

  These and other features of the present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary model for performing steps in accordance with aspects of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary system for performing steps in accordance with aspects of the present invention. FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary structure of a store for performing steps according to aspects of the present invention. FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary structure of a store for performing steps according to aspects of the present invention. FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary structure of a store for performing steps according to aspects of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary representation of an internal layout of a store for performing steps according to aspects of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary representation of an internal layout of a store for performing steps according to aspects of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary representation of an internal layout of a store for performing steps according to aspects of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary transition between a shopping section and a delivery section according to aspects of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary virtual simulated marketplace in accordance with aspects of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary physical simulated market according to aspects of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary physical simulated market according to aspects of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates a custom tote including a shopping bag used in accordance with aspects of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a delivery method according to aspects of the present invention. 4 is an exemplary flow chart depicting operation of a model according to aspects of the invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a high level architecture for implementing processing in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

  Example embodiments of the invention relate to a combination of automated service stores and self-service stores implemented using a physical store retail location. The store and corresponding implementation method is an automated service model in which a robot deployed in a physical store location fulfills orders for replaceable items (eg, pre-packaged items) ordered by customers either online or in-store. is there. A physical shop is provided, which is a front-end shop for automated services for non-exchangeable or “fresh” items (eg, fresh produce, produce, etc.) that customers prefer to pull by hand. Including section. The store also includes a backend automated order fulfillment section for other products (eg, packaged goods, dry matter, etc.). According to an exemplary embodiment, a customer places an order for packaged goods to be extracted using an automated system and manually extracts non-replaceable goods. The two sets of goods are combined (after cashier and payment) and delivered at the delivery station at the physical location to a delivery proxy that delivers to the customer or a customer at a local or remote location.

  In the exemplary embodiment of the food retail business, there is a significant gap between non-exchangeable items, such as meat and produce, typically located in the store's perimeter area, and exchangeable items, typically located on shelves across the center of the store. There is a difference. This difference in merchandise is related to item compatibility, or "exchangeability." For exchangeable merchandise, all "each" of a given minimum stock keeping unit (SKU) is essentially identical to each other in all respects that are important to the customer, and are therefore exchangeable from the customer's perspective. Therefore, the customer is satisfied with having the retailer select all of his replaceable merchandise. However, in the case of non-replaceable products, each given SKU may differ in terms of customer-critical attributes such as marbling and defects in meat, color, and ripeness of produce. Because of this, customers prefer to “pick” themselves, so many (but not all) customers choose non-exchangeable items themselves rather than letting retailers choose. This preference for selecting produce by direct inspection is thus a factor on why the spread of online retail in food is so far behind that of almost all other trading categories. Is becoming

  For the purposes of the present disclosure, this may be the case if the individual item units of a given merchandise or product, or each of which the customer is disinterested as to which particular each is selected from inventory, are sufficiently identical. Each of the items may be considered "exchangeable". Conversely, products are considered "non-exchangeable" if each individual of a given product is different from each other such that the customer may have a preference as to which particular each is selected. . In the context of distributors, the self-service model adds little value to the customer experience with replaceable products, but stores implementing the automated services described in connection with the present invention allow customers to purchase each of their own replaceable products. Add significant value by eliminating the need to extract. However, for many customers, in most cases, self-service actually adds value to the non-replaceable product's customer experience by giving the non-replaceable product complete control over each particular choice, Therefore, it is considered to be a preferable order fulfillment method. With respect to other customers or in other cases, the benefits of automated services add more value than self-selection and are therefore considered to be the preferred implementation method.

  The customer experience in the automated service model of the present invention is (a) automating the fulfillment of all orders for exchangeable goods and completely virtualizing the exchangeable goods market, (b) the customer's own choice. Providing a self-service non-exchangeable goods market that allows to select each particular one of the non-exchangeable goods desired, and (c) optionally, the customer orders the non-exchangeable goods online and manually extracts , Automated pruning ", or a combination thereof to allow these orders to be fulfilled. The automated service model of the present invention is capable of meeting the demanding requirements of this model. It is only feasible if the "each-sampling" technique exists. Thus, conventional systems have been substantially unable to operate an end-to-end retail system that can utilize automated robots as described herein to fulfill orders.

  As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the automated service model can be implemented with any type of vendor. For example, the automated service model can be implemented using a grocery store, a home improvement store, a handicraft store, a consumer product store, or a combination thereof (eg, a superstore). In each of the seller types, the goods can be classified as exchangeable and non-exchangeable as described by the present invention. In particular, replaceable products are those products that are suitable for automated implementation where the customer is usually not interested in whether or not they should pull out these products, while non-replaceable products are inspected and handed by the customer. It is a product that I prefer to extract with. For example, in a home improvement, non-replaceable items selected by shoppers may include items such as wood, carefully selected building materials (eg drywall, plywood, etc.), specialty metal products, and plants. Continuing with the home improvement example, replaceable product equivalents may include pre-packaged metal products, fittings, pipe fittings, light bulbs, and the like. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, some items may have exhibits or swatches for personal inspection, but may still be implemented as replaceable items. For example, a store may have swatches or exhibits for flooring, carpets, tiles, etc. that a customer may wish to touch and inspect prior to purchase.

  Another example of a vendor ideal for implementing the automated service model of the present invention is a grocery store. Although the disclosure of the present invention focuses on grocery stores, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many other mass retailer retail store configurations (e.g., home improvement, consumption, etc.) without departing from the scope of the disclosure of the present invention. It will be understood that it can be implemented using a retail store, a science and technology store, etc.). Such other aspects are intended to be used in conjunction with the present invention.

  1-10, in which like elements are designated by like reference numerals throughout, illustrate an exemplary embodiment of an automated service retailing system and method according to this invention. Although the present invention is described with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, it should be understood that many alternatives can embody the invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate various ways to modify the parameters of the disclosed embodiments in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention.

  FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an automated service model 100. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates the major components that make up the automated service model 100 of the present invention. The major components of the automated services model 100 include, but are not limited to, order processing 102, non-exchangeable product fulfillment 104, automated order fulfillment 106, and delivery fulfillment 108. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, order processing 102 accepts orders from customers (face-to-face or online) and provides a suitable system (eg, non-exchangeable items, automated exchangeable items, etc.) or combination of systems. Including fulfilling this order. Similarly, orders for non-exchangeable items can be placed online, but most of them are picked up in the store by the customer themselves, so that the customer can select individual item units that are not the same.

  In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, non-exchangeable product fulfillment 104 includes processes, systems, and methods for purchasing non-exchangeable products with certain items selected by customers within store 300. Non-replaceable items are made available to customers so that items that are not essentially identical are visually inspected and physically inspected and selected. The process, system, and method of non-exchangeable product fulfillment 104 includes storage of non-exchangeable products (eg, produce, meat, etc.) storage containers (eg, store display case 606) and customer fulfillment tools (eg, ordering, paying, or cash register). Performed within the shopping section 302, which includes a kiosk 618, etc.) to allow customers to withdraw their own items. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, "non-exchangeable" products are in a manner similar to conventional non-exchangeable product models and / or modified non-exchangeable product models configured to operate optimally within automated service model 100. It is a non-identical product that can be extracted by the customer.

  Automated order fulfillment 106 includes processes, systems, and methods for providing customers at store 300 with automated order fulfillment of replaceable items. The processes, systems, and methods of automated order fulfillment 106 include an automated fulfillment that accommodates inventory items (eg, exchangeable item storage totes) suitable for automated sampling using an automated inventory management system for extracting replaceable items. Executed within section 304. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the automated inventory management system is configured to provide automated order fulfillment 106 from an inventory stored in automated fulfillment section 304 to an automated mobile robot 226. (E.g., an Alphabot (R) robot). The automation fulfillment section 304 includes all of the resources to provide automated fulfillment. Further, the automation fulfillment section 304 stores inventory items. Providing a storage rack 612 and a guide rail for the robot 226 to retrieve the stock items stored in the storage rack 612, and the extraction “transportation to the picker of the workstation 614 and the picker picking the appropriate product from the tote. Includes retrieving and returning this tote to inventory, eg, automated fulfillment section 304 includes a storage rack 612 that holds a tote of merchandise and a robot 226 configured to provide automated order fulfillment 106. Examples of such configurations are disclosed in detail in US Patent No. 9,139,363, US Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0288696, US Patent Application No. 15 / 171,802. , The entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

  In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, delivery fulfillment 108 includes processes, systems, and methods for providing a customer with all ordered and withdrawn merchandise. Delivery fulfillment 108 processing, delivery of goods by the system, and method can include delivery of automated fulfillment orders for replaceable goods, orders for non-replaceable goods picked by a customer, and any combination of face-to-face and online orders. . Further, delivery fulfillment 108 can include any level of delivery including, but not limited to, in-store delivery, customer vehicle delivery, and courier delivery.

  FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system 200 for implementing aspects of the invention. In particular, FIG. 2 shows a system 200 that includes an automated services system 202. According to an exemplary embodiment, automated services system 202 is a combination of hardware and software configured to carry out aspects of the invention. In particular, automated services system 202 may include a computer system having specialized software and databases designed to provide a method of implementing automated services model 100. For example, automated service system 202 may be software installed on computing device 204, a web-based application provided by computing device 204 and accessible by computing device (eg, robot 226, user device 224, etc.), by computing device. It can be an accessible cloud-based application, or the like. The combination of hardware and software comprising automated service system 202 is specially adapted to provide a technical solution to a particular problem utilizing non-traditional combinations of stages / operations to carry out aspects of the present invention. Is composed of. In particular, automated services system 202 is designed to perform a unique combination of stages that provides a novel approach to fulfilling customer orders from retailers.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, automated services system 202 may include a computing device 204 having a processor 206, a memory 208, an input / output interface 210, an input / output device 212, and a storage system 214. Further, computing device 204 can include an operating system configured to perform operations for applications installed on the computing device. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, computing device 204 may include a single computing device, an assembly of computing devices in a networked computer system, a cloud computing infrastructure, or a combination thereof as is understood by those skilled in the art. Similarly, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, the storage system 214 can include any combination of computing devices configured to store and organize a collection of data. For example, storage system 214 can be a local storage device on computing device 204, a remote database device, or a cloud computing storage environment. The storage system 214 may also include a database management system that utilizes a given database model configured to interact with a user to analyze data in a database.

  Continuing with FIG. 2, the automated service system 202 may include a combination of core components to perform the various functions of the present invention. According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, automated service system 202 includes order processing tool 216, non-exchangeable product fulfillment tool 218, automated order fulfillment tool 220, and delivery fulfillment tool 222. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, tools 216, 218, 220, and 222 can include any combination of hardware and software configured to carry out various aspects of the invention. In particular, order processing tool 216, non-exchangeable product fulfillment tool 218, automated order fulfillment tool 220, and delivery fulfillment tool 222 are each configured to enable operation of automated service model 100 within store 300.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, system 200 includes a plurality of user devices 224 and robots 226 configured to communicate with automated services system 202 through telecommunications network 228. The automated services system 202 can act as a centralized host for user devices 224 and robots 226 that provide the functionality of tools 216, 218, 220, and 222 that share secure network connections. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the plurality of user devices 224 can include any combination of computing devices as described above with respect to computing device 204 of automated services system 202. For example, computing device 204 and user devices 224 may include any combination of servers, personal computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and the like. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, computing device 204, user device 224, and robot 226 are configured to establish a connection through telecommunications network 228 and communicate therethrough to perform aspects of the invention. . As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the telecommunications network 228 can include any combination of known networks. For example, telecommunications network 228 can be a mobile network, WAN, LAN, or a combination of other types of networks. Telecommunications network 228 is for exchanging data between computer device 204, user device 224, and robot 226, exchanging data with storage system 214, and / or collecting data from additional sources. Can be used.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, order processing tool 216 is configured to process all processing for order processing 102. In particular, order processing tool 216 accepts customer order information (eg, face-to-face or remotely) and assigns orders accordingly (eg, orders automated order fulfillment), as described in more detail herein. Is configured as follows. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, non-exchangeable product fulfillment tool 218 is configured to handle all processes associated with non-exchangeable product fulfillment 104. In particular, non-exchangeable product fulfillment tool 218 handles all of the operations at the front end of store 300, including managing customer orders, payments, and other services, as described in more detail herein. . According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, automated order fulfillment tool 220 is configured to handle all processes associated with automated order fulfillment 106. In particular, automated order fulfillment tool 220 is configured to handle back-end operations of store 300, including automated order sampling, inventory control, etc., as described in more detail herein. , The delivery fulfillment tool 222 is configured to handle all processing associated with delivery fulfillment 108. In particular, the delivery fulfillment tool 222 is described in more detail herein. , Is configured to process the processing associated with delivering the fulfilled customer order to a customer at a particular destination.

  According to an exemplary embodiment, automated service model 100 is implemented within a physical store 300 configured for use with the present invention. The store 300 can be any vendor that provides customers with products that can be used for sale. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, store 300 is a grocery store that provides customers with groceries and other items conventionally found in grocery stores. The store 300 of the present invention differs from conventional stores in how customers obtain merchandise from the store 300. In particular, the store 300 may manually pull out merchandise as a customer would at a traditional grocery store or otherwise automate implementation (eg, by interactive display or by scanning tags, images or codes). A shopping section 302 that allows you to select the items that are to be And "an automated fulfillment section 304 having a system.

  The novel combination of the store 300 and the automated service model 100 alleviates the need for customers to withdraw all merchandise orders, such as traditional self-service stores. Alternatively, using the automated service model 100, a customer may order some or all of the product that the customer desires to purchase electronically, either in-store or remotely, through any form of digital device, providing an automated order fulfillment tool. The order 106 can be pulled out and the order can be delivered to the customer at the store 300 location. At the same time, the customer can withdraw from the shopping section 302 of the store 300 any non-exchangeable items that are combined with automated delivery items at the cashier location within the delivery fulfillment section 308, as shown in FIG. The unique combination aspect of order processing 102, non-exchangeable product fulfillment 104 and automated order fulfillment 106 ensures that automated service model 100 is expandable and available within store 300, efficient, compact / space efficient and secure. Allows you to provide a quick order completion system. This combination results in a whole new type of distributor and retail system, and the system of the present invention provides retailers with a significant improvement in both customer experience and retail performance.

  3A, 3B, and 3C show an exemplary depiction of a store 300 configured to operate according to the automated services model 100. In particular, FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C show example architectural designs for a store 300 specifically designed for operation of the automated services model 100. 3A and 3B show an exemplary embodiment of a store 300 having a shopping section 302 above the ground and an automated fulfillment section 304 above the store 300. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the store 300 may be a newly constructed store 300 specially designed to operate with the automated service model 100, or refurbished to operate within the automated service model 100. It can be an existing self-service model store 300. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, shopping section 302 of store 300 includes an entrance 306 for customers, as well as the resources needed to shop for non-replaceable items (eg, baskets, carts, shopping terminals, etc.). For example, the shopping section 302 may include similar chunks of conventional self-service grocery store resources and layout. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the shopping section 302 also includes a set of shopping carts and totes, portable shopping terminals stationary on a charging cradle, a group of registration kiosks 618, and a stand-alone receipt printer. You can

  FIG. 3B illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a store 300 having a shopping section 302 above the ground and an automated fulfillment section 304 above the store 300, as described above with respect to FIG. 3A. In particular, FIG. 3B shows the store 300 of FIG. 3A with a cross section cut to show the automated fulfillment section 304 of the store's upper floor. The automation fulfillment section 304 includes a storage rack 612 configured to hold a plurality of merchandise totes stored in this section. The storage rack 612 is accessible by a mobile automated robot configured to remove a tote of goods from the storage rack 612 and deliver the goods to fulfill the order, as described in more detail herein. Is.

  FIG. 3C illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a store 300 having an automated fulfillment section 304 on the ground surface and a shopping section 302 above the store 300. The store 300 shown in FIG. 3C includes similar resources in the shopping section 302 and the automation fulfillment section 304, but these sections are in different orientations. In particular, the automation fulfillment section 304 begins on the ground surface with one or more elevator entrances 306 to the upper floors shopping section 302 located above the automation fulfillment section 304. As an added benefit of having the shopping section 302 on the upper floor, the store 300 may include additional windows throughout to provide customers with incident light and increased visibility.

  FIG. 4A illustrates a typical conceptual internal layout of the store 300 and how each of the areas of the store 300 relate to each other. In particular, FIG. 4A shows a shopping section 302, an automated fulfillment section 304, a delivery fulfillment section 308, and an acceptance section 310. Although the different areas shown in FIG. 4A are represented in a single plane, this area can be divided into multiple floors of store 300, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C. During operation of store 300, all transactions occur through one or more of these areas. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a customer utilizes entrance 306 to enter (402) and exit (404) the shopping section of store 300. Upon entering the shopping section 302 of the store 300, a customer may order merchandise fulfilled by the automated order fulfillment 106, as described in more detail herein, and further, the non-replaceable merchandise fulfillment of the store. Non-exchangeable items may be purchased within the 104 section.

  Customer orders fulfilled by automated order fulfillment 106 will be processed by an automation system within automated fulfillment section 304, as described in more detail herein. Upon completion of the automated order fulfillment 106, the automated sampled merchandise is provided (406) to the delivery fulfillment section 308, as described in more detail herein. Similarly, when the customer completes the sampling of the non-replaceable item within the shopping section 302, the customer will provide the item to the delivery fulfillment section 308 as described in more detail herein (408). ). For example, a customer may place a tote or basket with the customer's merchandise through the window in the delivery fulfillment section 308, as shown in FIG. In the delivery fulfillment section 308, the (406) merchandise provided by the automated fulfillment section 304 and the (408) merchandise provided by the buy section 302 are combined into a single order 410, as described in more detail herein. It is delivered to the customer (410).

  Continuing with FIG. 4A, the store 300 may include a receiving section 310 for receiving merchandise from various suppliers and / or manufacturers. The acceptance section 310 may be included within the store's "back end", which is invisible to the customer. When the item is delivered to the receiving section 310, the item is identified as a non-replaceable item stored in the shopping section 302 or a replaceable item stored in the automated fulfillment section 304. Non-exchangeable items are transferred (414) to the shopping section for storage in a manner that results in non-exchangeable item fulfillment 104. Similarly, the exchangeable items are transported (416) and stored (eg, stored in a tote, in a storage rack 612) in a manner suitable for automated order fulfillment 106.

  4B is a more detailed view of the internal structure of the store 300 described with respect to FIG. 4A. In particular, FIG. 4B shows a detailed view of shopping section 302 and delivery fulfillment section 308, a top view of automated fulfillment section 304, and how these sections relate to each other. The shopping section 302 shown in FIG. 4B includes a gateway point 306, a mock market 600, and a passing point 408 to the automated fulfillment section 304. The simulated market 600 includes a wall of an order screen 602, a plurality of physical shelf units 604 and a display case 606 of a sales floor, a plurality of shopping terminals and a cash register kiosk 618. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the simulated marketplace 600 may include any combination of the elements shown in FIGS. 4B-6C, as described in more detail herein. Further, FIG. 4B shows the delivery fulfillment section 308 of the store 300. The delivery fulfillment section 308 includes a plurality of delivery stations 610 where completed order items are delivered and accepted by customers.

  FIG. 4C shows a more detailed view of automated fulfillment section 304 and delivery fulfillment section 308, a basic view of shopping section 302, and how these sections relate to each other. The automation fulfillment section 304 includes a storage rack 612 system configured to hold an inventory tote accessible by a robot 226, the robot 226 further pulling the inventory tote and extracting the tote. It is configured to allow delivery to a picker at station 614 for automated order fulfillment (106). In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, delivery fulfillment section 308 includes an integration section, in which the goods from automated fulfillment section 304 and the goods from shopping section 302 are combined and integrated into order tote 702. , Delivered to the customer at the delivery station. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, this integration can be done in the same physical space as automation fulfillment section 304 or in a separate physical space.

  In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, store 300 of automated services model 100 includes a "front end" that includes an entrance lobby, a shopping section 302 for non-replaceable items, and an associated work area. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the front end does not necessarily have to be located in front of the store 300 or on the ground surface of the store 300. Most of the floor space within the shopping section 302 is on the non-exchangeable goods market (eg, produce, perishables, and other non-exchangeable goods) and related workspaces that can be the focus of the store 300 from the customer's perspective. Is allocated. The shopping section 302 includes "non-exchangeable" items such as produce, meat, seafood, many cheeses (primarily random weight), prepared foods, flowers, breads, and cooked foods. Typically, non-replaceable items include, but are not limited to, “random dollars” (replaceable items with a price bar code), random weights (bulk items sold, particularly priced based on the weight of the item). Agricultural products) and as many as three different pricing methods, including random counts (bulk items priced based on each number), are sold from the display fixture or display case 606. Similarly, these non-replaceable items can be sold at service counters, which offer the customer more opportunities to customize the ordered product according to the customer's individual preferences and preferences.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the shopping section 302 of the store 300 is similar in appearance to the peripheral sales floor within a conventional self-service grocery store with technical improvements associated with the automated services model 100, Increases customer benefits and reduces retailer operating costs. The technical improvements in the shopping section 302 relate primarily to how customers purchase goods and how to exchange funds for those goods. One such technical improvement is to implement a shopping terminal used in combination with the automated service model 100. The shopping terminal is a device utilized by a customer as the primary interface for selecting, scanning, entering, and / or storing the items for which an order is ordered during a shopping trip, including exchanging funds for the order. . In particular, the shopping terminal can be utilized to order both exchangeable items (sampled by automated order fulfillment 106) and non-exchangeable items within non-exchangeable item fulfillment 104.

  As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, a shopping terminal can be any device configured to identify (eg, through scanning, photographs, etc.) a particular item to be added to a shopping list. For example, the shopping terminal may be a portable scanning device or one or more fixed touch screens located within the shopping section 302. Further, the customer's user device 224 (eg, smartphone) can be configured as a shopping terminal by executing a mobile application on a mobile device associated with the store 300. For the purposes of the present disclosure, the term “shopping terminal” is intended to include applications running on a user device 224 or a stand-alone dedicated shopping terminal device (eg, handheld scanner, fixed screen, or a combination thereof). Stipulated in. During operation, the shopping terminal interacts with customers, communicates with the centralized automated services system 202, and supports a broad set of features involved in shopping processing. Each shopping terminal has a unique internal identifier included in the message, and the process of obtaining the shopping terminal is such that the customer's identification information is, for example, a radio frequency identification (RFID) key fob or a short-range wireless communication in the customer's smartphone. Incorporated through a communication (NFC) chip or by inputting information at a registration kiosk 618 or service desk, for example. The shopping terminal associated with the customer is used to pick out the desired items for the customer's shopping order that are picked by the customer by the automated order fulfillment 106 and within the non-exchangeable product fulfillment 104.

  In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, shopping section 302 includes a screen 602 representing a virtual redeemables marketplace for ordering redeemables for withdrawal by automated order fulfillment 106. In particular, the virtual exchangeable product market combines the order processing 102 and the non-exchangeable product fulfillment 104 to allow the customer to select an order for a product to be withdrawn by the automated order fulfillment 106. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the shopping section 302 may include demo products or swatches (eg, empty boxes, photos, etc.) at SKUs on physical shelf units (typically found on conventional markets). ), Or a mock market 600 with images of such items (electronic displays, or actual images or illustrations) that can be used to browse the items. Exemplary aspects of the simulated market 600 are shown in FIGS. 6A-6C. In particular, FIG. 6A shows a mock market 600 having a screen 602 displaying a virtual exchangeable goods market, and FIG. 6B shows a mock market 600 having demo or sample products in a physical shelf unit 604. FIG. 6C illustrates a walkway with demo product examples for each replaceable product in inventory (located similar to a traditional self-service store), and FIG. 6C contains non-replaceable produce that the customer manually pulls. The display case 606 of the sales floor is shown. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, aisles with demo products can be similar to traditional stores, but with only one demo product (or image that can be scanned or selected) for each item in inventory. (Or code) is present, the scale is very small and this aisle can be much narrower if there are no shopping carts in the store.

  According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, mock market 600 is limited to extracting merchandise available through virtual markets. The virtual marketplace includes a plurality of screens (eg, shopping terminals) 602 mounted on a wall or panel floor stand, which displays the combinations of selectable and non-replaceable products available in inventory. To do. The customer browses using screen 602 and selects which items the customer wants to add to his shopping order. FIG. 6A shows a display example of a virtual market screen 602 used in the simulated market 600. Similarly, a customer may utilize an application or web page on user device 224 to view and select ordered items (face-to-face or remotely). As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the virtual marketplace screen 602 can include any combination of computer display devices configured to receive user input. For example, the screen 602 can be a touch screen configured to receive input from a customer displaying a product and viewing the touch interface.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, mock market 600 may include orders for goods that are automated order fulfillment (106) through a combination of virtual shopping screen 602, physical mock market 600, and non-exchangeable goods market. For example, a customer may use a shopping terminal to read a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag associated with a mock product to replace the mock replaceable product from the aisle of shelf 604 containing the mock replaceable product, as shown in FIG. 6B. Can be ordered. Similarly, a customer may read a RFID tag on screen 602 and initiate an ordering session, as described herein, to place a smaller, smaller item near a display case or point of sale containing non-replaceable items 606. From the touch screen 602, customer orders can be ordered and / or supplemented. In either scenario, the RFID tag is embedded in the mock exhibit as well as on the price label on the display case or shelves in the store 606, and the item is scanned by reading the RFID tag using a portable shopping terminal. You can add it to your order. This embodiment has the advantage of being similar to the user interface in the replaceable merchandise market of self-service stores by allowing the processing and inspection of product items. In an exemplary aspect, a user can browse the simulated market 600 by walking through an aisle and scanning for demo products to be added to the shopping list.

  Further, the smaller screen 602 can be used to promote mutual sales of products. For example, a screen 602 attached to a display case or sales floor 606 containing vegetables allows a customer to order (eg, scan RFID tags) related related replaceable items directly through the related screen 602. The content sales promotion salad dressing configured in can be displayed. In this exemplary embodiment, the exchangeable merchandise is fully virtualized, the non-replaceable merchandise market is not, and the customer is in-store in much the same way as shopping at home or remotely on a mobile device. Order replaceable items through the screen. For example, the store 300 may include a main large screen set 602 mounted along a wall, with additional screens 602 (typically smaller) being positioned throughout the non-replaceable merchandise market and floor space requirements. To be the minimum. Thus, regardless of the customer's location within store 300, the customer may use the portable shopping terminal to read an identification tag (eg, RFID tag or barcode) on available screen 602 to display screen 602. The process of ordering the exchangeable item may be initiated, which in turn will initiate an ordering session on screen 602.

  In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the order for merchandise provided by screen 602 is processed by order processing tool 216 and provided to automated order fulfillment tool 220 for execution by automated order fulfillment 106. Automated order fulfillment 106 processes the order and delivers the completed order merchandise to the customer at a later time period (eg, in delivery fulfillment section 308), as described in more detail herein. Also, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, the non-exchangeable product fulfillment 104 is selected and auto fulfilled in a similar manner, where the customer is presented with a pool of uniquely identifiable products displayed on the screen 602. You can select non-exchangeable products from. The selection of non-replaceable merchandise can then be withdrawn on behalf of the customer using either automated means to perform the withdrawal or a third party proxy (eg, at withdrawal workstation 614). Further, the order processing 102 may provide feedback to the customer regarding the status of the order, the list of items in the order, the total price of the order, and other information associated with the order. For example, the order processing tool 216 provides a reasonably accurate latency estimate before completing an order and then informs the customer of the status of the order (eg, through a personal shopping terminal). When the order is completed, the customer may be notified that the order is ready to be picked up and / or delivered (eg, an application on a mobile shopping terminal, an in-store status screen, email or short message service ( SMS) and so on).

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shopping section 302 of the store 300 is for items (eg, produce) that the customer prefers to physically inspect for non-replaceable items, process them, and sample them. Non-exchangeable commodity markets (eg, not automated). For the purposes of the present disclosure, these types of goods are referred to as non-exchangeable and / or exchangeable goods. For example, a customer may browse the non-exchangeable produce section for fruits and vegetables, as in a traditional self-service grocery store. In addition, the customer may order non-exchangeable items from various stations included within the shopping section 302. The stations can include, but are not limited to, prepared food service counters, seafood service counters, bread, cooked food and restaurant stations, meal kits, and the like. Non-replaceable items can be in multiple modes: proxy manual picker (eg, a clerk pulls the non-replaceable items on behalf of the customer, typically via an online order), customer selection of non-replaceable items (face-to-face or online). ), A customer at a station (eg, prepared food, bread, seafood, etc.) or an in-store customer with non-exchangeable product selections. The customer uses the combination of scale 608 (for weighing goods), RFID label, barcode, and manual user product identification information shown in FIG. Non-exchangeable items can be aggregated and added to the order through the non-exchangeable item selection. For example, a customer may select a bunch of bananas, weigh the bananas, and enter the banana's identification information and its associated weight into the shopping terminal.

  In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, non-exchangeable product fulfillment 104 relates to how the customer aggregates non-exchangeable items in shopping section 302 as compared to conventional market cashier processes, systems, And another technical improvement using the method. The aggregation process of the present invention allows a customer to aggregate the products they wish to purchase in a simple and efficient way across all pricing methods. In particular, the shopping section 302 utilizes a combination of shopping terminals in combination with a wireless scale 608 positioned for convenience for customers to use throughout the store 300 to order non-replaceable items (eg, bills). / Provides customers with an easy and efficient way to pluck and pay for these goods. For example, the section of the shopping section 302 containing fruits includes a registration kiosk 618 and scale 608 for the customer to enter the quantity and weight of a particular fruit item to be added to the customer's order. With non-replaceable merchandise aggregated and weighed, these merchandise are ordered by the customer so that all of the mechanized and automated merchandise of the customer is reflected in a single shopping order. Can be added to (eg, through a shopping terminal). As those skilled in the art will appreciate, customer orders can be updated with a spreadsheet for each item added to the customer's basket or cart while the user is shopping in the shopping section 302. Aggregates and weights of items in a customer's basket / cart can be verified and processed during checkout processing.

  In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the verification process for non-replaceable items extracted by the customer may be performed at a registration kiosk 618 within the shopping section 302, or the customer may pass the non-replaceable items through 408 to the delivery fulfillment section 308 for metering. , Validation, and integration with automated fulfillment orders from automated fulfillment section 304. In this case, the combined order will be delivered to the customer in delivery fulfillment section 308 (410).

  In the exemplary embodiment, picking a random dollar item is the simplest item to aggregate and requires the customer to only scan the price bar code on this item using the shopping terminal ( Random dollar item weights are either embedded within the price bar code or derived from the bar code price based on the known item unit price). To aggregate a random weight item and purchase it, the customer has a simple, intuitive, three-step process: (1 ) Using the shopping terminal to scan the RFID tag located on the item's rate symbol to identify the item, (2) placing the bag on the wireless scale 608 in an advantageous location, and (3) the shopping terminal. Can be used to perform scanning of RFID tags located on the scale 608 that identify the scale 608 (in any order). The system control software then reads the item weight from the specified scale 608 and aggregates the item price by applying the item unit price. Similarly, to purchase a random number item, the customer may enter the respective number for purchase, or the item's weight, in addition to the same three-step process described above for random weight items. The fourth step is followed to confirm each estimated number calculated by the system by dividing by the average weight per each SKU.

  In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, non-exchangeable items may be virtually selected by a customer and fulfilled by automated order fulfillment 106 and / or a third party proxy. To select virtually non-exchangeable items, the customer may utilize a remote online display of available items or the in-store shopping terminal screen 602. The virtual market display on screen 602 can provide the customer with various visual and measured information about the selected product. For example, the virtual marketplace display may provide a unique digital image of each non-exchangeable item along with associated measurement information. The information measured can include, but is not limited to, weight, maturity (eg, determined through a spectrograph), hardness level (eg, determined through automated tactile sensing), and the like. Depending on the visual information and the measured information, the customer can virtually “hand-pick” each unique non-exchangeable item that is picked and delivered by the automated order fulfillment 106.

  In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, automated fulfillment section 304 includes an inventory of replaceable items that are withdrawn by automated fulfillment robot 226. In particular, the automation fulfillment section 304 includes an inventory storage rack 612 in which the robot 226 moves to fulfill an order placed by a customer and pulls out merchandise to be withdrawn. For example, automated fulfillment section 304 is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 9,139,363, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0288696, and U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 171,802. Including the system described in the example of such a configuration. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, any combination of automated inventory management systems may be utilized within automated fulfillment section 304 without departing from the scope of the present invention. Further, the automation fulfillment section 304 may also include various temperature zones for storing goods having different temperature requirements. For example, the automation fulfillment section 304 may include three main temperature zones for ambient temperature goods, refrigerated goods, and frozen goods. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, there may be additional subzones within the refrigeration zone for optimal storage of meat, dairy products, and various types of produce.

  In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, automated fulfillment section 304 includes a manual extraction area for replaceable merchandise that cannot be processed by, or is not ideal for, automated robot 226, automated tote integration. Includes stations and stations that transfer to another container (if this function is performed in-store). In an automated robotic sampling design example, the sampling stock is stored in a container called a "tote" and the majority of the goods can be accommodated in this tote, but a few goods are very much in at least one dimension. They are large (eg brooms, mops, pet food or large bags of cat litter) and need to be pulled out manually. In addition, some large volume / high cube products (eg, large paper products, large mineral water, etc.), even though the tote can dimensionally hold each of a small number of some of these products. ) May be more cost effective than using automated robot 226. Instead of being withdrawn by the robot 226, all awkward types of items are manually withdrawn and temporarily stored in the "Special Items" holding area and then delivered by the clerk to the customer at the order delivery station 610. It Further, the automated fulfillment section 304 also includes an intermediate storage location for completed orders up to delivery to the customer.

  In operation, automated order fulfillment 106 fulfills all customer orders for exchangeable items. The items in the order to be fulfilled are provided by the order processing 102 to order the selected replaceable items, excluding junk items, and, optionally, "pre-packed" in a bar coded package to the automated order fulfillment system 106. Orders for non-exchangeable merchandise (eg, meat fillets) to be induced. The robot 226 in the automation fulfillment section 304 is responsible for withdrawing each of the provided totes from inventory for extraction by a human or robot operator (“picker”) at the extraction workstation 614. Each ordered item is packaged by a picker at a sampling workstation 614 into a "bag" contained within an ordered tote ("O-tote" (autote)).

  FIG. 7 shows an example of an O-tote 702 containing a plurality of shopping bags 704 therein. A typical O-tote 702 performs similar functions to the paper and plastic bags used in conventional self-service stores. According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, O-tote 702 has a capacity of up to three conventional paper or plastic shopping bags 704. The design of bag 704 allows for automated insertion into and removal of O-tote 702. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a customer may provide their own personal bag for use within the system without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, once the order selection is complete, the customer may provide the picker with a bag that will be placed in the O-tote 702 for the customer's order.

  Once the automated order is complete (eg, each and every one from the order is extracted to one or more O-totes 702 at sampling workstation 614), the filled O-totes 702 are delivered to the customer. In the meantime, it can either be placed in a storage rack 612 subsystem for temporary storage (eg, if ordered online), or immediately dispatched from the system at delivery fulfillment section 308 and within store 300. Delivered to the customer (eg, when ordered in-store). The O-tote 702 is placed in a storage location regardless of the type of order and held until available for the customer to pick up the order. The automated order fulfillment 106 can store the O-tote 702 in a suitable temperature storage environment. For example, frozen or refrigerated items may be designated for storage in a freezer or refrigerator environment, while replaceable items may be stored at ambient temperature of store 300. In addition, the stored items may include replaceable items, or in some cases even custom items (eg, cooked items, decoration cakes) that can be prepared and taken together. it can. All of the O-Tote 702 and other products are delivered from various storage environments to customers in designated delivery areas, especially when the customers are ready to pick up their orders.

  In addition to this, orders can be distributed across multiple O-totes 702. For example, a bulk order that requires more than three conventional bags 704 will be spread across at least two O-totes 702 and may be intermediate before delivery to a customer including each from multiple temperature zones. Orders requiring storage will require at least one O-tote 702 per zone. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, for orders placed in-store and delivered immediately without interim storage, each of the goods from multiple temperature zones typically will be such that each such item is in a conventional self-service store. The single O-tote 702 can be combined in a manner similar to being packaged together in a cash register. Contrary to intuition, it is usually more capital efficient for the O-Tote 702 to accommodate each from only a single order. The multi-order O-Tote 702 allows some higher densities in the interim storage of online orders, but the resulting capital expense savings is usually due to the order consolidation process before shipping most orders. The need for additional bots will be offset. Order consolidation will also reduce service levels by delaying delivery of orders to customers.

  In the automated service model 100 of the present invention, the checkout process is simply the end of the shopping process and payment for the items in the order. The customer can register at the shopping terminal or at the cash register kiosk 618, with each payment system having any restrictions. For example, the cash register kiosk 618 may be available to customers who pay in cash by inserting a physical payment card, or when it is desirable for the customer to redeem a paper coupon. The shopping terminal is available to customers who specify a pre-registered credit / debit card or other form of payment (eg, using a smartphone through NFC communication with the shopping terminal) associated with the customer. Simple cashier transactions are completed largely electronically, primarily through a shopping terminal, but cashier kiosks 618 require physical objects (eg, cash, credit cards, coupons, etc.) as part of the cashier process. Is available to customers. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, each cash register kiosk 618 can be as simple as a cash handling mechanism, debit / credit card reader, paper coupon handler, receipt printer, and touch screen display. User interface (similar to conventional self-checkout terminals). In operation, each register kiosk 618 is configured with an RFID tag reader that allows a customer to read RFID tag information (eg, order summary) at a shopping terminal and initiate the checkout process. In addition, separate receipt printer groups are available for printing receipts for electronically paid orders for customers using cashiers at electronic shopping terminals. An RFID tag is present in each printer, and the customer will read this RFID tag into the shopping terminal and start printing a receipt.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the customer pays before accepting the goods offered by the automated order fulfillment 106. Once paid, the merchandise is offered to the customer after leaving the store at a designated order delivery station 610 (eg, in the delivery fulfillment section 308). Similarly, a customer may pay for and confirm a non-exchangeable order that has been extracted by the customer in the shopping section 302. As described herein, the customer may pull and insert it into the customer's cart to provide merchandise selection information (eg, manually entered, scanned, etc.) and weight (eg, provided by wireless scale 608). Each of the items included in the order is aggregated and a cost is automatically associated with each aggregated item in this order. The system 200 can verify the final order of the items that the customer picked by weight and ensure that the cashier weight of the non-exchangeable produce matches the total weight entered and entered by the customer during shopping. With the weight verified, the total amount of the customer's orders, including any automatically filled orders, can be aggregated and applied to the payment balance.

  In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a customer must transfer a tote containing their own non-replaceable merchandise order from shopping section 302 to delivery fulfillment section 308 (eg, through 408). In the delivery fulfillment section 308, the tote containing the non-exchangeable goods received from the customer is integrated and combined with the O-tote 702 delivered from the automated fulfillment section 304. In particular, robot 226 delivers the integrated tote from the shopping section 302 and automated fulfillment section 304 to a combination station in delivery fulfillment section 308 prior to delivery to the customer. Delivery fulfillment section 308 includes a fusion module that combines one or more exchangeable items from automated fulfillment section 304 with one or more non-exchangeable items withdrawn from shopping section 302 into a delivery bundle. With all items combined / integrated, the tote is ready for delivery at the order delivery station 610. The delivery bundle is conveyed to a pick-up station, which accepts the delivery bundle and stores it at the assigned location until the customer arrives to take advantage of the delivery bundle's delivery. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, if the customer chooses only non-replaceable items, then the customer's non-replaceable items need not be integrated with the automated order and after the customer has confirmed the non-replaceable items at the registration kiosk 618. It is possible to leave the store 300 with this non-exchangeable product. Therefore, ordering only non-exchangeable items does not require the customer to return the non-exchangeable items to the delivery fulfillment section 308.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention allow a customer to place an online order to be picked up or delivered without having to step into the store 300. Online order processing can include any combination of ordering methods described herein, including searching for exchangeable and non-exchangeable items and specifying which items the customer desires to order. . Further, as described herein, a customer may utilize the combination of methods and systems described herein to virtually manually withdraw non-replaceable items. Alternatively, the customer may choose to have a proxy picker (eg, a clerk) pull out non-replaceable items according to the customer's preferences. In this example, the customer may provide the proxy picker with instructions that specify various qualities (eg, color, hardness, weight, etc.) of the non-replaceable item that the customer desires. The proxy picker extracts non-exchangeable items according to customer instructions and adds these items to the automated fulfillment order provided by automated order fulfillment 106.

  The customer specifies the method of picking up or delivering the order in addition to the ordered product. For example, the customer may specify a scheduled pick-up or scheduled delivery. Further, the store 300 may utilize a combination of delivery options including, but not limited to, store operated delivery vehicles or merchandise delivery (e.g., taxi or private car services) associated with third party services. The system 200 can present to the customer a plurality of pick-up and delivery options and an estimated time to fulfill the pick-up and delivery options. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, this estimated time can be a product type (eg, non-replaceable or replaceable product), a sampling type (eg, automated fulfillment, proxy fulfillment, etc.), a time (eg, peak or off-peak). It depends on the shopping period) and the type of delivery method. For automated fulfillment orders only, fulfillment time can be fulfilled in as little as 10 minutes based on some robots 226 available to the automated fulfillment section 304, providing near-on-demand latency.

  According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, order processing 102, automated order fulfillment 106, and delivery fulfillment 108 may be optimized based on a combination of customer schedules and locations. In particular, system 200 optimizes customer delivery fulfillment 108 of an order tote fulfillment queue based on delivery / arrival time. The system 200 uses the customer's Global Positioning System (GPS) information to manage when the robot 226 withdraws an order, as well as schedules a lane to accept delivery of the order. And can manage traffic. For example, the system 200 may perform order fulfillment from highest to lowest using in-store customers, then customers located within locations near store 300 for pick-up, and then highest priority for scheduled courier, etc. Can be prioritized. Similarly, the system 200 determines when a customer is going to the store to pick up an order (eg, based on location information from a customer application) and places the customer's order at a designated customer pick-up location. You can start shipping totes. Further, the system 200 can track past customer behavior when determining which customer order to prioritize. For example, if a customer changes order fulfillment times frequently, system 200 will give that customer a lower priority than a customer who always picks up his or her orders on time. Additionally, system 200 can provide incentives for customers to accept off-peak delivery / collection times. Implementations that incentivize customers to accept off-peak pickup / delivery will smooth the peaks for optimization.

  In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the prioritization task will change based on the store's "need" through robot 226 load balancing. As robot 226 performs order delivery fulfillment 108 and inventory replenishment, system 200 is scheduled to balance robot 226 usage. For example, the system of the present invention may load balance robot 226 to restock during off-peak customer periods. Similarly, the system 200 can schedule order fulfillment for online orders that will be placed the next day during night hours when the store 300 is closed to customers. During the peak yield period, the bot task load can be distributed to maximize the efficient utilization of the capacity of the robot 226 and provide the customer with a service level that can be met and satisfied. Very important. Thus, according to an exemplary embodiment, the task of robot 226 is to prioritize the following importance (highest to lowest priority): delivery of orders to delivery station 610, emergency replenishment of sampling stock, Accepts orders placed by in-store customers, orders placed online (which are further prioritized by scheduled or expected pick-up times), and periodic replenishment of a stock of orders taken.

  The final stage of the order fulfillment process in the automated services model 100 is the delivery to each ordered customer (or delivery proxy) in the delivery fulfillment section 308. In accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the invention, delivery fulfillment 108 is responsible for scheduling when an order is delivered to each order delivery station 610 within delivery fulfillment section 308. Delivery fulfillment 108 occurs at designated delivery stations 610 within store 300 (eg, inside shopping section 302) and / or outside of delivery fulfillment section 308. Each extracted by the robot 226 is stored in a bag 704 in an O-tote 702, and the O-tote 702 is delivered to the delivery station 610 by the robot 226. In addition, the manually picked up scraps can be delivered by the store clerk to the same delivery station 610 or picked up by the customer at a dedicated pick-up location.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the order delivery station 610 is a structure having a set of shelves holding O-totes 702. FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary order delivery station 610 outside the store within the delivery fulfillment section 308. The shelves of the order delivery station 610 are accessible from one side (eg, from the automation fulfillment section 304) by a robot 226 that places an O-tote 702 containing the order on the shelves, These totes are then accessible to the customer from another side (eg, from the shopping section 302), who removes the bag containing each of the customer's orders from the O-tote and carts the bag. Inside, or directly into the customer's car (if order delivery station 610 is outside store 300). In the case of orders distributed over multiple O-totes 702, due to the size of the order and / or the need to store different portions of the order in different temperature zones, the single order may be ordered. Multiple bot round trips are typically required to load the shelves of delivery station 610. Therefore, the delivery station 610 should have the capacity to store at least three, preferably four O-totes 702 for a designated customer pick-up area.

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, store 300 includes two sets of order delivery stations 610. In particular, the store 300 only visits the store to pick up one set of order delivery stations 610 used by in-store customers and picks up the customer's orders (eg, order delivery). External to station 610) and a second set of order delivery stations 610 for use by customers. The delivery station 610 used by the in-store customer also includes a parking platform for the shopping cart, which platform optionally sits on the platform for the cashier, as described in more detail herein. An instrument may be included to weigh each cart weighed. Similarly, depending on the particular location attributes and the configuration of the store 300, both in-store and pick-up customers may use the external delivery station 610. For example, external order delivery station 610 may be mounted within a parking lot or parking structure to allow robot 226 to deliver face-to-face order items to delivery station 610 located in a customer's parked car.

  In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the order delivery station 610 can be operated bi-directionally, i.e., a customer can place an empty bag on the shelf of the delivery station 610 containing a non-replaceable item of their choice. It is possible to place it in the O-tote 702 and allow the robot 226 to put this non-replaceable item in storage (refrigerated) in the robot system. This feature allows an in-store customer to temporarily deposit an order at the store and pick up the order at a later time or have the order delivered to home. Similarly, returns can be provided by inserting the items to be returned into O-Tote 702 during the return transaction. For example, an item to be returned may go into an empty tote alone and be returned to the extraction workstation 614 while at the same time the product container is removed from inventory and the item is extracted from the return container into the product container. .

  According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, robot 226 may place a completed O-tote 702 containing an order into a delivery cart. The delivery cart can be transported to the customer's vehicle, or the customer can pick up the cart at the order delivery station 610 and bring the cart to the customer's own vehicle.

  FIG. 9 is an exemplary flow chart representing aspects of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 9 is an exemplary flow chart depicting the operation of the automated service model 100 implemented within the store 300, as described above with respect to FIGS. 1-8. In particular, FIG. 9 illustrates a process 900 for implementing an automated service model 100 for in-store shopping and for a customer to order merchandise at a store 300. At step 902, the customer arrives at the store and uses the shopping terminal to select an item to be automatically fulfilled. As described herein, a customer may utilize a handheld shopping terminal to scan for items, or a virtual screen shopping terminal to browse and select items.

  At step 904, the customer collects and aggregates the non-exchangeable items in the shopping section 302, if any. As described herein, the customer may manually pull out the non-replaceable produce, aggregate / weigh the produce, and add the produce to the customer order through the shopping terminal. The system of the present invention encourages the customer to order the replaceable item first by preparing the automated fulfillment order for delivery when the customer has completed sampling the non-replaceable item in the shopping section 302. (Automatic implementation). Shopping for non-replaceable items may include selecting items from carts or totes for bulk sale (random weight), pre-packaged items (random dollars), and service counters.

  At step 906, the customer can check out. In particular, as described herein, a customer may utilize a portable shopping terminal or cash register kiosk 618 to register with a combination of non-exchangeable and exchangeable items. During the checkout, the weight of any aggregated non-exchangeable items is aggregated and verified against user input, and the customer confirms the item in the automated order. Customers can pay using any combination of cash, credits, and virtual payments.

  At step 908, the customer accepts delivery of the order. The delivery fulfillment provided to the customer includes both non-exchangeable goods picked and verified by the customer and exchangeable goods picked by the automated order fulfillment 106. As described herein, delivery can be done in-store or out-of-store in a customer's vehicle. Optionally, the customer may select a delayed cash register and deposit the completed and paid order at the store for future pickup or delivery. The customer registers at the portable shopping terminal or cash register kiosk 618.

  Any suitable computing device may be used to implement the computing devices 202, 204, 222, and 224, and methods / functions described herein, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. Conversion to a particular system for performing the operations and functions described herein can be accomplished through modification of the hardware, software, and firmware in ways that are much more than just executing software on a device. it can. An exemplary embodiment of such a computing device 1000 is shown in FIG. Computing device 1000 is merely an example embodiment of a preferred computing environment, and in no way limits the scope of the invention. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the “computing device” shown in FIG. 10 includes “workstation”, “server”, “laptop”, “desktop”, “handheld device”, “mobile device”, It may include a "tablet computer" or other computing device. Given that computing device 1000 is shown for illustrative purposes, embodiments of the invention utilize any number of computing devices 1000 in any number of different ways to implement a single embodiment of the invention. be able to. Thus, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to a single computing device 1000, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, but are also limited to a single type of embodiment or configuration of computing device 1000 illustrated. Absent.

  The computing device 1000 directly or indirectly includes the following exemplary components: a memory 1012, one or more processors 1014, one or more presentation components 1016, an input / output port 1018, an input / output component. 1020 and a bus 1010 that may be coupled to one or more of the power supplies 1024. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that bus 1010 can include one or more buses such as an address bus, a data bus, or any combination thereof. One of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that more than one of these components can be implemented by a single device, depending on the intended use and use of the particular embodiment. Similarly, in some cases a single component may be implemented by multiple devices. Thus, FIG. 10 merely illustrates an exemplary computing device that may be used to implement one or more embodiments of the present invention, and is not limiting in any way.

  Computing device 1000 may include or interact with a variety of computer readable media. For example, computer readable media include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CDROM, digital versatile. A disk (DVD), or other optical or holographic medium, and a magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic that can be used to encode information and that is accessible by computing device 1000. And a storage device.

  Memory 1012 can include computer storage media in the form of volatile and / or nonvolatile memory. Memory 1012 can be removable, non-removable, or any combination thereof. Exemplary hardware devices are devices such as hard drives, semiconductor memory, optical disk drives. For example, the memory 1012 can be cloud-based data storage accessible by the automated services system 202. Computing device 1000 may include one or more processors that read data from components such as memory 1012 and various I / O components 1016. Presentation component 1016 presents an indication of data to a user or other device. Exemplary presentation components include display devices, speakers, printing components, vibrating components, and the like.

  I / O port 1018 may allow computing device 1000 to be logically coupled to other devices such as I / O component 1020. Some of the I / O components 1020 can be incorporated into computing device 1000. Examples of such I / O components 1020 include a microphone, joystick, recording device, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, printer, wireless device, networking device, and the like.

  As used herein, the terms "comprising" and "including" are intended to be inclusive rather than limiting. As used herein, the terms "exemplary," "example," and "exemplary" are intended to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and other configurations It should not be construed as indicating or not indicating preferred or advantageous configurations for. As used herein, the terms “about” and “approximately” may exist at the upper and lower limits of a range of subjective or objective values, such as variations in properties, parameters, sizes, and dimensions. It is intended to cover certain variations. In one non-limiting example, the terms "about" and "approximately" mean plus 10 percent or less, or minus 10 percent or less. In one non-limiting example, the terms "about" and "approximately" mean sufficiently close to be considered by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art. The term “substantially” as used herein refers to a complete or near complete range or degree of action, property, nature, condition, structure, item, or result, as those skilled in the art will appreciate. For example, a “substantially” circular object means that the object is either a perfect circle, up to the limit that can be mathematically determined, or a substantially circular shape recognized or understood by those skilled in the art. The exact acceptable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may depend in some cases on the particular circumstances. However, in general, closeness of perfection is one that has the same overall result as if absolute and global perfection were performed or achieved. The use of "substantially" is used in the negative sense to refer to the complete or near-total lack of action, property, property, state, structure, item, or result, as those skilled in the art will appreciate. It is equally applicable to the case.

  Many modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode for carrying out the invention. Structural details may be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the invention, with the limited use of all modifications falling within the scope of the claims. Although embodiments have been described herein so that clear, concise specifications may be set forth, it is intended that the embodiments may be combined or separated in various ways without departing from the invention. , This will be understood. The present invention is intended to be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and applicable principles of law.

  The claims may also cover all general and specific features of the invention described herein, and any description of the scope of the invention that may be said to be sought as a matter of language. Shall be understood.

300 stores 302 shopping section 304 automation fulfillment section 308 delivery fulfillment section 600 mock market

Claims (37)

A market configured to present to the customer one or more non-exchangeable products for selection;
An automated fulfillment system configured to receive an order for one or more exchangeable items selected by the customer, comprising:
The automated fulfillment system
A storage structure including a plurality of rack structures separated by aisles and having a plurality of storage levels, configured to store a plurality of totes, and storing and removing the totes from the storage structure. At least one mobile robot capable of
Including,
The automated fulfillment system extracts the one or more replaceable items and places the one or more replaceable items in one or more custom order containers for delivery to the customer;
An automated fulfillment section including the automated fulfillment system;
A delivery section configured to deliver the one or more order containers from the automated fulfillment section to the customer or delivery proxy.
An automated store characterized by including.   The automated store according to claim 1, wherein the automated fulfillment system stores a container for storing non-exchangeable goods extracted from the market by the customer or a proxy picker.   The delivery section combines the one or more exchangeable items from the automated fulfillment section with one or more selected non-exchangeable items into a delivery bundle for delivery to the customer or the delivery proxy. The automated store of claim 1, further configured to:   The automated store of claim 1, wherein the marketplace further comprises a virtual display having images of the one or more exchangeable items that are selectable images.   The automated store of claim 1, wherein the marketplace further comprises a physical display of the one or more replaceable items containing scannable codes.   The automated store of claim 1, further comprising a pick-up station that includes a picker that is a human or robot that custom picks the non-replaceable items based on instructions from the customer.   The automated store of claim 1, further comprising a delivery station configured to receive a tote containing the one or more non-exchangeable items. The delivery station includes an assessment tool configured to identify the one or more non-exchangeable items,
The assessment tool includes a scale for determining weight,
The evaluation tool includes an optical scanner for reading images, labels, or codes,
The automated store according to claim 7, wherein:   The automated store according to claim 7, wherein the one or more non-replaceable products are placed in the tote.   2. The delivery bundle of claim 1, wherein the delivery bundle includes one or more shopping bags containing the one or more replaceable items, the one or more non-exchangeable items, or both. Automated store.   The automated store of claim 1, wherein the market is above the surface of an automated store and the automation fulfillment section is above the market.   The automated store of claim 1, wherein the automated fulfillment section is above the surface of an automated store and the market is above the automated fulfillment section. Further includes a storage system,
The automated fulfillment section includes an inventory of replaceable items in the storage system configured for automated sampling by the at least one mobile robot,
The automated store according to claim 1, wherein:   The automated store of claim 1, wherein the one or more replaceable items are placed in a tote stored in the plurality of rack modules of the automated fulfillment system.   The at least one mobile robot propels itself horizontally and vertically throughout the storage structure to load a tote into the storage structure, remove a tote from the storage structure, and transport the tote. The automated store according to Item 1. A method of fulfilling an automated order at an automated store,
Receiving at least one order for one or more items from a customer or a proxy for the customer;
Withdrawing a product container containing the one or more products from inventory and dispatching one or more robots to deliver the product container to a workstation;
Transferring at the workstation the one or more items from the product container to a customs container associated with the at least one order;
Delivering the order container to the customer or delivery proxy;
A method comprising:   The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one order is at least one of an online order placed remotely and a face-to-face order placed from the automated store. A system for implementing an automated store service model,
An order processing tool configured to receive at least one order from at least one customer or a proxy for the customer;
A non-exchangeable product fulfillment tool configured to aggregate one or more non-exchangeable products manually extracted by said at least one customer or proxy picker;
An automated service fulfillment tool configured to instruct an automated robot to extract one or more replaceable items contained in said at least one order;
A system characterized by including. A method of shopping at an automated store,
Ordering one or more exchangeable items for automatic fulfillment using a shopping terminal;
Collecting and aggregating the one or more non-exchangeable products in the non-exchangeable product fulfillment section;
Receiving the order for one or more exchangeable items,
A method comprising: The step of collecting and tabulating one or more non-exchangeable products is
Capturing a first identifier associated with a non-exchangeable product of the one or more non-exchangeable products;
Capturing a second identifier associated with a scale for weighing the non-replaceable item;
Weighing the non-exchangeable goods on the scale;
Associating the first identifier of the non-exchangeable item with the second identifier of the scale for weighing the non-exchangeable item;
Determining a price of the non-exchangeable item based on the first identifier, the second identifier, and the association of the first and second identifiers;
including,
20. The method of claim 19, wherein:   The step of associating the first and second identifiers comprises detecting the uptake of the second identifier with an input device immediately after the uptake of the first identifier with the same input device. 21. The method of claim 20, comprising:   20. The method of claim 19, further comprising verifying the one or more exchangeable items and the one or more non-exchangeable items.   20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving payment for the one or more exchangeable items and the one or more non-exchangeable items. One or more shopping terminals configured to allow a customer to browse and select one or more exchangeable items for performance by an automated fulfillment system;
A non-exchangeable product fulfillment section configured to allow the customer to view and select one or more non-exchangeable products.
A shopping section including
The automated fulfillment system for withdrawing the one or more replaceable items for delivery to the customer;
A fulfillment section containing
A delivery fulfillment section in which the one or more exchangeable items are delivered by the automated fulfillment system to the customer or a delivery proxy for the customer;
An automated store characterized by including. An input device configured to allow a customer to browse and select one or more replaceable items for fulfillment by an automated fulfillment system,
A non-exchangeable product fulfillment section configured to allow the customer to view and select one or more non-exchangeable products.
A shopping section including
The automated fulfillment system for withdrawing the selected one or more replaceable items for delivery to the customer or a delivery proxy for the customer;
A fulfillment section containing
A delivery fulfillment section in which the one or more replaceable items are delivered to the customer or a delivery proxy for the customer;
An automated store characterized by including.   24. The input device of claim 23, wherein the input device includes one or more of a scannable product packaging, a scannable product image, or a virtual electronic display and selectable product user interface. Automated store.   24. The payment system further comprising a payment system configured to enable the customer to render payments for the one or more exchangeable items and the one or more non-exchangeable items. Automated store described in.   26. The automated store of claim 25, wherein the payment system includes one or more interactive kiosks.   26. The automated store of claim 25, wherein the payment system comprises a virtual payment system accessed by a customer device to make payments. A shopping section that includes a customer shopping area in which a customer or proxy picker selects one or more items for purchase;
A fulfillment section including an automated fulfillment system configured to withdraw at least a portion of the selected one or more merchandise for delivery to a delivery proxy for the customer or at the automated store for the customer. When,
An automated store characterized by including.   The shopping section further comprises a product selection mechanism configured to allow a customer to browse and select one or more replaceable items for performance by the automated fulfillment system. 29. The automated store according to claim 28.   The shopping section further comprises a non-exchangeable product fulfillment section configured to allow the customer to browse and select one or more non-exchangeable products for purchase. Item 28. An automated store according to Item 28.   29. The payment system further comprising a payment system configured to enable the customer to render payments for the one or more exchangeable items and the one or more non-exchangeable items. Automated store described in.   29. The delivery fulfillment section of claim 28, further comprising a delivery fulfillment section in which the one or more exchangeable and / or non-exchangeable items are delivered by the automated fulfillment system to the customer or a delivery proxy for the customer. Automated store. A first identifier associated with the non-exchangeable item,
A scale for weighing the non-replaceable product,
A second identifier associated with the scale;
An input device for capturing the first and second identifiers,
In association with the first and second identifiers,
Determining a price of the non-exchangeable item from the first identifier, the second identifier, and the association of the first and second identifiers,
A processor configured to
An automated store characterized by including.   The automated store according to claim 35, wherein the input device is a bar code reader.   The automated store according to claim 35, wherein the input device is an RFID scanner.

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